The Motion Picture Association–Canada and the Canadian Media Production Association have released a study showing that the sector supported 262,700 jobs, and generated $20.4 billion in GDP for the Canadian economy in just one year.

The Economic Contribution of the Film and Television Sector in Canada is a comprehensive study of the economic contributions of the film and television industry in Canada, commissioned by the Motion Picture Association – Canada in collaboration with Canadian Media Production Association and conducted by Nordicity.

Building on research released in Profile 2012: An Economic Report on the Screen-based Production Industry in Canada, the new study captures the direct, indirect and induced economic impacts of the industry’s entire value chain in Canada.

In 2011, the report says, Canada’s film, television and media sector supported 262,700 full time equivalent jobs and generated more than $12 billion in labour income. The industry returned $5.5 billion in tax revenue: $2.8 billion in federal taxes and $2.7 billion in provincial and local taxes.

The economic contribution of the sector does not stop with the economic and tax revenue impacts originating from activity in the value chain. The sector’s economic contribution also manifests itself over time through industry development, and through spill over effects captured by the construction and tourism sectors.

“The study clearly demonstrates the many ways in which the film and television industry in Canada is at the forefront of the creative economy, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and contributing millions of dollars to communities across the country,” said Wendy Noss, Executive Director of the Motion Picture Association–Canada.

“It is increasingly clear that investments in film and television through federal and provincial programs and tax credits not only produce direct and positive returns in terms of jobs and export opportunities for Canadian companies but also have contributed to making Canada a preferred location for attracting investment and productions from other countries,” said Michael Hennessy, CMPA President & CEO.